Vocal program draws talented singers

trevor.kenney — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:44:25 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Recital Hall is bursting with song this week as 43 talented young singers from across Western Canada take part in the 4th annual Southern Alberta Vocal Experience (SAVE), Aug. 12-18.

The SAVE vocal program offers talented young singers, aged 13 to 20, the opportunity to study and perform in close collaboration with established artists, teachers and vocal coaches. In addition to preparing musical excerpts, students participate in a daily regimen that includes choir, creative movement, private lessons and master classes, allowing them to develop vocal skills in a comprehensive program of studies.

Directed by Joanne Collier, the teaching staff includes U of L Faculty members Dr. Blaine Hendsbee, Dr. Sandra Stringer, Dr. Deanna Oye and Carolyn Herrington; U of L alumni McKade Hogg, Nicole Higginson-Swen, Acacia Doktorchik and Audrina Steciw; and guest artists David Shefsiek (managing director of Alberta Theatre Projects), Suzy Smith (Toronto-based vocal coach) and Winston Noren of Calgary's Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. They are joined by accompanists Gregory Knight, Elinor Lawson, Joel Goodfellow and Jesse Plessis and undergraduate student assistant Jana Holesworth.

The week of activity culminates in a pair of public performances, beginning with a Friday, Aug. 17 concert (7:30 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall) where SAVE singers will be presenting solos from the art song and concert repertoire, accompanied by piano. The program will open and close with a choral selection learned during the week. Admission for this performance is by donation at the door.

The final gala concert, One Enchanted Evening, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m., also in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall. Audience members will be treated to songs and tales from the lands of fairies and all things enchanting, including theatre classics from shows such as Brigadoon, Camelot and Cinderella, along with more recent selections from Into the Woods, The Secret Garden and Spamalot.

"All of the music has been chosen for its beautiful melodies, musical merit and ability to showcase each singer to the best of their ability," says artistic director Joanne Collier. "At the same time audiences will be treated to an array of musical maids and men, heroes, fools and villains."

Tickets are $10 each and available at the door.

Those interested in the SAVE program can contact the U of L Music Conservatory for more information: 403-329-2304.

Parkinson pushes growth of theatre community

trevor.kenney — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:40:41 +0000

Brian Parkinson, a professor in the Department of Theatre and the Dramatic Arts and associate dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, saw potential in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge when he first arrived on campus more than 30 years ago. He quickly recognized the growth that was possible for the dramatic arts and has been a leader in both establishing a theatrical culture on the U of L campus and taking that to the broader southern Alberta community.

With more than 150 productions to his credit, Parkinson has directed in both academic and professional companies in both England and Canada and he was the founding director of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's TheatrXtra summer stock company that now operates as a student focused second season in the Department of Theatre & Dramatic Arts. For the department's Mainstage season, Parkinson has directed a significant number of productions including, in recent years, Arcadia, Into The Woods, The Lark, The Mikado and Macbeth.This spring he is directing Shakespeare's Hamlet (Feb. 14-18).

Parkinson has worked for many years at establishing professional theatre in southern Alberta and his productions have played in both Alberta and British Columbia. He was the founding artistic director of Fort MacLeod's Great West Theatre and directed the company for seven years before becoming the founding artistic managing director of Lethbridge's New West Theatre Company. During his nineteen years in this position, he also directed the majority of the company's productions.

Parkinson is a past board member of both Theatre Alberta and the Canadian Association for Theatre Research. He has been a nominee for both the Rozsa Award for Excellence in Arts Management and for the Lt. Governor of Alberta Arts Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts. For his work with New West Theatre he was awarded the Alberta Centennial Gold Medal.He has also been recognized as one of the 100 Alberta theatre practitioners who, over the past century, have made a significant and lasting contribution to Alberta's theatrical heritage.

UNews - Into the Woods

Vocal program draws talented singers

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Parkinson pushes growth of theatre community

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